The Hard Questions

[Phyllis Gray]

Hi, my name is Phyllis, and I often ask the hard questions. It's not that I'm trying to provoke or perturb people. It's just that hard questions exist... so why shouldn't they be asked? Maybe it would be easier for people to accept me, if they think of me as a bit of an armchair philosopher, although, I feel like these questions are divinely inspired. Yet, people still often are insulted by simple questions. It reminds me of Amos 5:10 (YLT) They have hated a reprover in the gate, and a plain speaker they abominate.
I am a plain speaker. And if my words seem to reprove, it's not without knowing that I too am a sinner. I can't recall the last person I met without sin that could even be heard as they were speaking through their breath, though most people rarely see it. I say that to say this, I have recently wondered... the more we learn even in Christianity... does it make it that much harder for people to see their own sins? Let's say, a person has learned scripture, and has become 90-99 percent correct throughout their life. (For I dare say no one but God Himself is 100 percent correct). Then, does it make it harder for a person even 99 percent correct to admit to sin?.... for he/she may feel he/she is almost always right (or think they are always right)? But even if we are 99 percent right... and we do 200 things in a day, then by percentage, we are still wrong twice a day? Then, can we see those 2 things, admit those 2 things, apologize for those 2 things, and try to change those 2 things. You see, I think without this kind of thinking, we simply become pious and forget that we are sinners. And of course, even Jesus said he came for the sinners to reformation not the pious.This "hard question" recently, has bothered me a lot, for it seems that it's been a long time since I've seen any adult admit to fault. How can this be? How can we even help others, if we can't testify to our own faults and use them to help others to see that those faults can be overcome? Well, I guess that's all I've got for now. I hope this doesn't bring about my condemnation in full force, lol. And I only hope it serves to help us all, in remaining humble... as humble as possible, so we can continue to help others in need. God bless all those loving God!

 

[anna ~ grace]

Welcome to CF!

 

[Phyllis Gray]

Welcome to CF!

Thank you anna - grace ... God bless you

 

[Estrid]

Hi, my name is Phyllis, and I often ask the hard questions. It's not that I'm trying to provoke or perturb people. It's just that hard questions exist... so why shouldn't they be asked? Maybe it would be easier for people to accept me, if they think of me as a bit of an armchair philosopher, although, I feel like these questions are divinely inspired. Yet, people still often are insulted by simple questions. It reminds me of Amos 5:10 (YLT) They have hated a reprover in the gate, and a plain speaker they abominate.
I am a plain speaker. And if my words seem to reprove, it's not without knowing that I too am a sinner. I can't recall the last person I met without sin that could even be heard as they were speaking through their breath, though most people rarely see it. I say that to say this, I have recently wondered... the more we learn even in Christianity... does it make it that much harder for people to see their own sins? Let's say, a person has learned scripture, and has become 90-99 percent correct throughout their life. (For I dare say no one but God Himself is 100 percent correct). Then, does it make it harder for a person even 99 percent correct to admit to sin?.... for he/she may feel he/she is almost always right (or think they are always right)? But even if we are 99 percent right... and we do 200 things in a day, then by percentage, we are still wrong twice a day? Then, can we see those 2 things, admit those 2 things, apologize for those 2 things, and try to change those 2 things. You see, I think without this kind of thinking, we simply become pious and forget that we are sinners. And of course, even Jesus said he came for the sinners to reformation not the pious.This "hard question" recently, has bothered me a lot, for it seems that it's been a long time since I've seen any adult admit to fault. How can this be? How can we even help others, if we can't testify to our own faults and use them to help others to see that those faults can be overcome? Well, I guess that's all I've got for now. I hope this doesn't bring about my condemnation in full force, lol. And I only hope it serves to help us all, in remaining humble... as humble as possible, so we can continue to help others in need. God bless all those loving God!

We all fall far short of being as good as we should be.

It was wonderfully liberating for me to discover how easy it avtually is
to just say i was wrong, that something is my fault.

There is even a little bonus in seeing how astonished people are
just to see someone take adult responsibility for themselves.

 

[Phyllis Gray]

We all fall far short of being as good as we should be.

It was wonderfully liberating for me to discover how easy it avtually is
to just say i was wrong, that something is my fault.

There is even a little bonus in seeing how astonished people are
just to see someone take adult responsibility for themselves.

 

[Estrid]

?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Hi, my name is Phyllis, and I often ask the hard questions. It's not that I'm trying to provoke or perturb people. It's just that hard questions exist... so why shouldn't they be asked? Maybe it would be easier for people to accept me, if they think of me as a bit of an armchair philosopher, although, I feel like these questions are divinely inspired. Yet, people still often are insulted by simple questions. It reminds me of Amos 5:10 (YLT) They have hated a reprover in the gate, and a plain speaker they abominate.
I am a plain speaker. And if my words seem to reprove, it's not without knowing that I too am a sinner. I can't recall the last person I met without sin that could even be heard as they were speaking through their breath, though most people rarely see it. I say that to say this, I have recently wondered... the more we learn even in Christianity... does it make it that much harder for people to see their own sins? Let's say, a person has learned scripture, and has become 90-99 percent correct throughout their life. (For I dare say no one but God Himself is 100 percent correct). Then, does it make it harder for a person even 99 percent correct to admit to sin?.... for he/she may feel he/she is almost always right (or think they are always right)? But even if we are 99 percent right... and we do 200 things in a day, then by percentage, we are still wrong twice a day? Then, can we see those 2 things, admit those 2 things, apologize for those 2 things, and try to change those 2 things. You see, I think without this kind of thinking, we simply become pious and forget that we are sinners. And of course, even Jesus said he came for the sinners to reformation not the pious.This "hard question" recently, has bothered me a lot, for it seems that it's been a long time since I've seen any adult admit to fault. How can this be? How can we even help others, if we can't testify to our own faults and use them to help others to see that those faults can be overcome? Well, I guess that's all I've got for now. I hope this doesn't bring about my condemnation in full force, lol. And I only hope it serves to help us all, in remaining humble... as humble as possible, so we can continue to help others in need. God bless all those loving God!

Welcome to CF!

Consider the parable of the 'sheep and the goats'. Evidently the 'sheep' weren't fully aware that they were serving Christ by serving the needs of others. It had just become second nature for them.

 

[Aussie Pete]

Hi, my name is Phyllis, and I often ask the hard questions. It's not that I'm trying to provoke or perturb people. It's just that hard questions exist... so why shouldn't they be asked? Maybe it would be easier for people to accept me, if they think of me as a bit of an armchair philosopher, although, I feel like these questions are divinely inspired. Yet, people still often are insulted by simple questions. It reminds me of Amos 5:10 (YLT) They have hated a reprover in the gate, and a plain speaker they abominate.
I am a plain speaker. And if my words seem to reprove, it's not without knowing that I too am a sinner. I can't recall the last person I met without sin that could even be heard as they were speaking through their breath, though most people rarely see it. I say that to say this, I have recently wondered... the more we learn even in Christianity... does it make it that much harder for people to see their own sins? Let's say, a person has learned scripture, and has become 90-99 percent correct throughout their life. (For I dare say no one but God Himself is 100 percent correct). Then, does it make it harder for a person even 99 percent correct to admit to sin?.... for he/she may feel he/she is almost always right (or think they are always right)? But even if we are 99 percent right... and we do 200 things in a day, then by percentage, we are still wrong twice a day? Then, can we see those 2 things, admit those 2 things, apologize for those 2 things, and try to change those 2 things. You see, I think without this kind of thinking, we simply become pious and forget that we are sinners. And of course, even Jesus said he came for the sinners to reformation not the pious.This "hard question" recently, has bothered me a lot, for it seems that it's been a long time since I've seen any adult admit to fault. How can this be? How can we even help others, if we can't testify to our own faults and use them to help others to see that those faults can be overcome? Well, I guess that's all I've got for now. I hope this doesn't bring about my condemnation in full force, lol. And I only hope it serves to help us all, in remaining humble... as humble as possible, so we can continue to help others in need. God bless all those loving God!

What happens as Christians gain knowledge? Sometimes, it brings about a level of maturity that causes the believer to sin much less. That is what should happen! We will never attain to perfection in this life, but there are Christians who have learned to walk in the Spirit most of the time.

What also can happen is that the believer starts to imagine that his knowledge makes him special somehow. This is spiritual pride and has brought low many Christians who seemed to have it all together.

Pride is the reason that people cannot admit to a fault. When I was first saved, I thought mature Christians were super beings that never doubted, never were wrong, never had any problems and sailed through life without a care. In other words, nothing like me. I thought like this because that is the impression that they gave. I discovered that a lot of the time it was just an act. If you want to know the reality of a Christian's spiritual condition, see how he relates to his wife and children.

By the way, we cannot change ourselves. If we could, we would not need Jesus. It is good to see our own character defects, as long as we do not despair over them. The right response is to agree that we have a problem and ask God to change us. Sometimes God will allow a fault to remain to keep us from being overconfident. It may not be outwardly all that serious, but it is a problem. For example, my mentor, who passed away about 10 years ago, always overate. It was like a reminder that God had not finished with him. Not long before he went to be with the Lord, his appetite changed completely. He reduced his meal size by half. I was astounded. I'd known him for 30 years and for sure I witnessed a miracle.

 

[Phyllis Gray]

Oh yes Estrid! Your post reminded me of how many years ago, the Good Lord brought me to a place in my life where I learned how to apologize easier. Oh how I had forgotten a bit, until you posted your reply. Thank you so much, and I just thanked God for that reminder in your post! See! This is what I mean by how sharing and confession can be so helpful. And wonderful! And as the Lord is zealous, it would seem He sent some zealousness to me, lol, because I get so excited about things that others would see as small, lol. Anyway, moving on, it was so great when God taught me how to apologize. It was like He was telling my heart, "Hey, just say you're sorry! How hard can it be? And you will feel sooooo much better... and so will the other person." And it was like God gave power to those apologies most of the time (sometimes there are some ppl who wont accept apologies, but that's kind of on them). And it freed my heart. The simple words of an apology... it's kind of like it sends that tension out of the heart, and into the air, and it flies away to harm us no more (provided we dont keep intentionally doing the same things over again). It sounds strange, but I hope everyone can find many times to apologize, because when we are young, those apologies seem to hurt, but as we age, they are liberating. And then in time, we seem to need to apologize less, and replace those apologies with helpfulness and kindness, so that we need to apologize less. And it becomes a nurturing. I remember telling my husband once, that as we grow older, we should see that we don't just need to be parents to our children, but we should be mothers and fathers to the whole world. That we should take those maternal/paternal instincts outside of our homes... and care for everyone as much as we can (however even Jesus warned us of the heathens, so use fair judgment & test the spirits). Thank you again, Estrid. God bless you!

 

[Phyllis Gray]

What happens as Christians gain knowledge? Sometimes, it brings about a level of maturity that causes the believer to sin much less. That is what should happen! We will never attain to perfection in this life, but there are Christians who have learned to walk in the Spirit most of the time.

What also can happen is that the believer starts to imagine that his knowledge makes him special somehow. This is spiritual pride and has brought low many Christians who seemed to have it all together.

Pride is the reason that people cannot admit to a fault. When I was first saved, I thought mature Christians were super beings that never doubted, never were wrong, never had any problems and sailed through life without a care. In other words, nothing like me. I thought like this because that is the impression that they gave. I discovered that a lot of the time it was just an act. If you want to know the reality of a Christian's spiritual condition, see how he relates to his wife and children.

By the way, we cannot change ourselves. If we could, we would not need Jesus. It is good to see our own character defects, as long as we do not despair over them. The right response is to agree that we have a problem and ask God to change us. Sometimes God will allow a fault to remain to keep us from being overconfident. It may not be outwardly all that serious, but it is a problem. For example, my mentor, who passed away about 10 years ago, always overate. It was like a reminder that God had not finished with him. Not long before he went to be with the Lord, his appetite changed completely. He reduced his meal size by half. I was astounded. I'd known him for 30 years and for sure I witnessed a miracle.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

If we live long enough we are blessed by the "process of time", which is a maturing process wherein we see more clearly our own faults, and also the needs of others.

 

[Phyllis Gray]

Aussie Pete, I love that response. I have to say, I can see how many ppl might not understand what you're saying right from the start, because it's on a different level than most people I've met, but that story is still rather important. I appreciate your response, and I thank you. I have to admit that I haven't had a lot of people that i could talk about these things with, who were as understanding as this group already seems to be in such a very very short time. I mean I just signed up and here you all are making so much sense. And I am so very thankful! God bless you!

 

[spiritfilledjm]

Welcome!

 

[Phyllis Gray]

If we live long enough we are blessed by the "process of time", which is a maturing process wherein we see more clearly our own faults, and also the needs of others.

So simply said, and also you have reminded me... that sometimes people forget how to fulfill the needs of others... even in a simple thing like conversation. I have known some people who are Christians and claim to love God and scripture, but then when they carry on a conversation, it seems to only be about them. I try to feed people in conversation. And not just say what I want about me, but listen to what they are saying and needing, and react according to what God teaches in scripture. That in itself can be difficult, as some people need uplifting, while others may need humbling. And even scripture advises that sometimes we must humble others. I need to look that one up, because I can't recall exactly where it's at, but I can sure see how it's important even for example, when Jesus said that he who praises himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be praised, but there's an OT scripture that says to humble ppl. And sadly, it is often forgotten. However, I do prefer to focus on uplifting more than humbling lest I get too carried away. And then I have to bounce back to... but still the job of humbling exists. Sometimes, it's a turbulent job, but necessary.

 

[Estrid]

Oh yes Estrid! Your post reminded me of how many years ago, the Good Lord brought me to a place in my life where I learned how to apologize easier. Oh how I had forgotten a bit, until you posted your reply. Thank you so much, and I just thanked God for that reminder in your post! See! This is what I mean by how sharing and confession can be so helpful. And wonderful! And as the Lord is zealous, it would seem He sent some zealousness to me, lol, because I get so excited about things that others would see as small, lol. Anyway, moving on, it was so great when God taught me how to apologize. It was like He was telling my heart, "Hey, just say you're sorry! How hard can it be? And you will feel sooooo much better... and so will the other person." And it was like God gave power to those apologies most of the time (sometimes there are some ppl who wont accept apologies, but that's kind of on them). And it freed my heart. The simple words of an apology... it's kind of like it sends that tension out of the heart, and into the air, and it flies away to harm us no more (provided we dont keep intentionally doing the same things over again). It sounds strange, but I hope everyone can find many times to apologize, because when we are young, those apologies seem to hurt, but as we age, they are liberating. And then in time, we seem to need to apologize less, and replace those apologies with helpfulness and kindness, so that we need to apologize less. And it becomes a nurturing. I remember telling my husband once, that as we grow older, we should see that we don't just need to be parents to our children, but we should be mothers and fathers to the whole world. That we should take those maternal/paternal instincts outside of our homes... and care for everyone as much as we can (however even Jesus warned us of the heathens, so use fair judgment & test the spirits). Thank you again, Estrid. God bless you!

I like your way of thinking.
Taking responsibility for what one has already
done wont change the past!
The next step as you say is to think and act so
as to avoid having something for which to apologize.

Of possible interest to you is that Christians are a
small minority here, and i was raised with no religious
affiliation at all.
As an international student in the USA, I was of
course un contact with many Christians. I was invited
to church, and people answered my questions.

One surprise, was that people go to their religion
for moral and ethical answers to issues, where
we are taught these things just as part of growing up
and being of good character.

 

[Estrid]

What happens as Christians gain knowledge? Sometimes, it brings about a level of maturity that causes the believer to sin much less. That is what should happen! We will never attain to perfection in this life, but there are Christians who have learned to walk in the Spirit most of the time.

What also can happen is that the believer starts to imagine that his knowledge makes him special somehow. This is spiritual pride and has brought low many Christians who seemed to have it all together.

Pride is the reason that people cannot admit to a fault. When I was first saved, I thought mature Christians were super beings that never doubted, never were wrong, never had any problems and sailed through life without a care. In other words, nothing like me. I thought like this because that is the impression that they gave. I discovered that a lot of the time it was just an act. If you want to know the reality of a Christian's spiritual condition, see how he relates to his wife and children.

By the way, we cannot change ourselves. If we could, we would not need Jesus. It is good to see our own character defects, as long as we do not despair over them. The right response is to agree that we have a problem and ask God to change us. Sometimes God will allow a fault to remain to keep us from being overconfident. It may not be outwardly all that serious, but it is a problem. For example, my mentor, who passed away about 10 years ago, always overate. It was like a reminder that God had not finished with him. Not long before he went to be with the Lord, his appetite changed completely. He reduced his meal size by half. I was astounded. I'd known him for 30 years and for sure I witnessed a miracle.

"We cannot change ourselves"

I guess I would have to disagree with that.

Not that i take it personally nor was it meant that way
but at one point in my life i decided to take Mom's
word about our cultural values seriously, and resolved
to admit / accept fault whenever it came my turn to do so.

It was hard at first, but later i discovered a joy in it.

 

[BobRyan]

Hi, my name is Phyllis, and I often ask the hard questions. It's not that I'm trying to provoke or perturb people. It's just that hard questions exist... so why shouldn't they be asked? God!

Welcome.

I love the hard questions.

 

[Phyllis Gray]

I like your way of thinking.
Taking responsibility for what one has already
done wont change the past!
The next step as you say is to think and act so
as to avoid having something for which to apologize.

Of possible interest to you is that Christians are a
small minority here, and i was raised with no religious
affiliation at all.
As an international student in the USA, I was of
course un contact with many Christians. I was invited
to church, and people answered my questions.

One surprise, was that people go to their religion
for moral and ethical answers to issues, where
we are taught these things just as part of growing up
and being of good character.

Estrid, You have possibly inadvertantly raised some good questions, and I'm going to have to break away in a bit as I'm on a bit of a time constraint now, but there are so many things to say about what you have said. First, I was born into a Chrstian family, but at some point in my twenties, I wondered how I could be so sure that my religion was the right religion. And even in scripture God tells us to reason with Him and try Him (not tempt - that's different a bit). I studied world religions in college and I'd say I searched high and low to find the truth. I saw the morality in many religions and wondered how so many Christians can be so deluded, while still many others were so kindly and moral. And I will say that God led me to this line of thinking. No religion without Jesus will suffice. Jesus is our rabbi/teacher and as God's only begotten son, he came to teach us many things. Morality without God is in vain, for it lacks many important things. God sent us prophets, the lawmaker (Moses), and Jesus to teach us the crucial elements of salvation. For instance, a man can think he is good, but not love God, and what good does it serve him? Will God save him because he thought himself good yet he did not honor the creator? God gave us prophecy all throughout scripture which holds true to this day even as we near the end of the world as we know it. Yet, Jesus taught us the most important aspects of God's will. He taught us to love and be kind and be humble and even die for our heavenly Father. And yet, he also taught us that if we should be faced with death for the word of God, that even the death man served us, shall not defeat the resurrection God gives us. He showed us that God is the ultimate healer and the ultimate kindness to man. He reaffirmed the ten commandments and the one where God said he would give punishment to those hating Him and do kindnesses to those loving Him. So why are some Christians deluded and others beautiful and kind? I reckon it's because scripture teaches us that we will be tested, and that we shall be persecuted. And as one might figure, we are not all worthy. Some will fall short, and others will love God until death. I imagine based on scripture, the devil does not challenge those already condemned. But the devil challeges and afflicts those who are within reach of salvation. Ergo, we must fight the good fight to stay as strong as we can and pray that God help us through those struggles. Scripture doesn't say it will be easy, but it does say it will be worth it. So again, we can't forget the devil is... where God is... it is a battle. As the adversary fought Job, the most righteous in the land, he continues to battle those loving God the most. It will only be our greeds, lusts, and sins that can lose our battle, but it is our sacrifices, and love, and our kindnesses that can save the day and glorify the Lord in the teachings that He gave us to work as our armor.

 

[com7fy8]

Welcome to Christian Forums

@Phyllis Gray > I have just started this thread with you in mind >

Can it be good to confess our faults to other than God alone? | Christian Forums

 

[Phyllis Gray]

"We cannot change ourselves"

I guess I would have to disagree with that.

Not that i take it personally nor was it meant that way
but at one point in my life i decided to take Mom's
word about our cultural values seriously, and resolved
to admit / accept fault whenever it came my turn to do so.

It was hard at first, but later i discovered a joy in it.

Ugh. I can't seem to sleep now, even though this is the typical time of my rest. But Dear Estrid, I can see what Aussie Pete is saying. Sometimes, in previous years, I felt I was changing myself. Yet, as time went by, and I gained more knowledge of scripture, I realized I wasn't really changing myself, but that even though I didn't know it, God and Jesus were changing me for the better. I am still far from perfect in my eyes, but I know now, that it was them working in me, to change me. Though I'm not big on video games, I have played them, and I get the idea of "leveling up." It's kind of like that in spirituality. Sometimes, we are leveling up through God and Jesus and don't even realize it... until we do realize it. God was with us from the beginning... and He is with us now. And it is His spirit in us, that helps us to change, for if we are void of God, then we are void of goodness. And perhaps someone can help me recall the verse where it is said that God shall remove every plant that He has not planted or something to that effect. Alas, the bible is big, and my memory is lacking these days, lol. (I'm on disability and poor memory is one of my symptoms... eek), so I can remember scripture to some degree, but sometimes lose sight of where it is. Thus, anyone helping me out is a great help to me. I'm humble in asking, yet the Lord often helps me to remember the big things that I need to know... Hallelujah! Anyway, the point is, if God planted His spirit in us... then we are His and shall grow in Him. Yet, some are wolves, while we are humble sheep, and I'm figuring the wolves shall not grow, but the sheep shall. And that requires the help of God. So in a manner of speaking we don't change ourselves even though "free will" is another but similar issue. But it seems to be God's spirit within us, that gives us the will to grow into Him. It's a very tricky situation, lol. I see both your points, but ask that you see each other's points as well. As one of you is relying on God, and the other is relying on free will given by God.